Thanks so much for looking. Be sure to leave a comment, if you think it would encourage my heart.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Change is Inevitable--Except From a Vending Machine

Well, Christmas time has come and gone. It doesn't seem right that a whole month has been lived since that day. But it is right. It has been lived. I hope that you enjoyed every minute of it. If not, begin today and do your best to enjoy the next month and what it brings. In the words of my friend, Jesus' half-brother, James, "Count it all joy..." Much harder to do than say.

The recurring theme of my month has been CHANGE. If you know me,
you know I like change. At least, I thought I did. I do love to change
my house and my planner and my hair and my organizational ways and --
well, I guess that is about it. Change has bombarded me lately, and
quite frankly, I am trying to throw a fit about it. The first and major
change in our lives is that we now have a dog. His name is Bauer and he
has caused much change in the Harper home. The main one being how much
peace the momma person gets. My family seems to think that he is (and I
quote) "the cutest dog ever." I don't share their sentiment for the
black ball of fur with lungs that don't quit. Lots of my friends think
he is adorable and sweet and wonderful too. Some even fool themselves
into thinking that he doesn't do things that he does do and they let him
lick their face and their mouth. SO GROSS!

Meet Bauer--the cutest dog ever...NOT!

My kids are changing too. They are each growing into the young adults
that God is making them into. I am really not sure I am ready for those
changes. I am having to learn to adjust just as much as they are. It is
so strange. It's funny, we have years to prepare, and yet it seems it
just happens one night while you sleep. We are all learning how to shoot
and handle guns and about gun safety.
That is scary. Mike and I desire to get our CHL this year. Funny thing
about that is that the boy, Mike, is the best shooter of the family. He
can't get his, but when he can, he will be ready!

Learning the ropes. Do you see the shell exiting Mike's gun? So cool! My boy is shooting my gun just for grins.

Our church has moved its website. Which means we had to change our email addresses. I am at kym@iamberean.com and Mike is at harper@iamberean.com.
We hope you will make note of our new addresses and not forget to email
us once-in-a-while. We do love hearing from you when we get the
opportunity.

My internet browser crashed and my wireless printer isn't working. Mike
had to uninstall my browser and reinstall it. Guess what that means. I
lost all of my bookmarks to sites I have found and used for school,
Sunday school, family fun, meals, and all sorts of stuff. Starting from
scratch is hard. Still don't know what the deal is with my printer. That
thing has almost been more trouble than it has been worth. I guess when
it works, it's wonderful. But when it doesn't, it is really not
convenient.

My favorite photo editing site, Picnik,
is closing. I am so sad. I love that site. They say they have moved
everything to Google+. But, I am skeptic. Why does technology seem to
change with every new invention? What is Google+ anyway? Does anyone
know? I only have until April 19th to find a new photo editing site. Any
suggestions? I do get a full refund for the year, but that is not a
real consolation in my mind.

Another change we are experiencing
is in the weather. It is 77* and beautiful one day, 52* and windy the
next, 72* and gorgeous the next, and 39*and raining the next. Strange,
really. We do enjoy the opportunities to do whatever the weather calls
for though. We enjoy a day at the park with friends. We enjoy a fire in
the fireplace and watching the Rocky movies when that is appropriate. We
enjoy an afternoon at Sonic with other friends. We do enjoy the rain,
even if it does provide a lake that prohibits entrance through the front
door. It sure makes for some good sleeping.

I did go to the grocery store the other morning to supply the kids with snacks for them and their friends. I was talking to the self check-out monitor and left my change there. It was about 5 days later when I entered the store again and she stopped me to ask me what happened the other day. I had no idea what she was talking about, but listened as she tried to recall why she needed to speak with me. She remembered. I had left my change there that morning. She had to search and it took a few hours, but she found my change and returned $17 to me. Wow! Change may not come from vending machines, but it does come from honest, self check-out monitors.

The other change is my Bible study.
I am studying God's Word with James, Beth Moore, Max Lucado, and a few
other friends. It has provided both joy and anguish. Tears of happiness
and sorrow. I hope to close the book of James and be a changed person.
There is that word again. I don't want to be the same as when I first
met him. I want to count it all joy when the thumps of everyday life hit
me. I want to be a doer and not just a hearer. I want to behold my
genesis face in the mirror and walk away and remember who I am (in
Christ-who I was intended to be).

I thought the other day that everything is changing. You either change with it or get left behind. That's what happens. You can choose not to change your clothing style and your hair style, but you will be walking in the year 2012 looking like you belong in the year 1992. Have a laugh or two picturing what that would look like.

This is what you would look like if you wore the clothes you wore in 1992.

What about if you still had glasses like this or hair like this? Ha!

Change my heart, O God. Make it ever true. Change my heart, O God. May I be like You. You are the Potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me. This is what I pray.